34. Ryan
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Ryan
Lila was sitting in the passenger seat of my Jeep, blindfolded and clutching Biscuit in her lap.
Colt was in the back, whispering to the dog and probably slipping him treats. Jaxon was in his truck, following behind us with the rest of the supplies.
She had no idea where we were going, and her nervous excitement was palpable. She kept fidgeting with the hem of her sweater, a habit I’d noticed when she was trying to play it cool but couldn’t quite contain her curiosity.
“You’re sure I’m not going to hate this?” she asked, her voice carrying that edge of playful suspicion that made my chest tighten in the best way.
“You’re not going to hate it,” I said, my tone firm. “Just trust us.”
“I do trust you,” she said softly, and something about the way she said it—quiet but certain—made me glance over at her, even though she couldn’t see me.
That trust wasn’t something any of us took lightly.
Not after everything she’d been through.
Rick had stolen so much from her… her money, her home, her confidence in herself.
But he hadn’t stolen her heart.
That was ours now, and we weren’t about to take it for granted.
“I can see Lila’s point of view, you know,” Colt chimed in from the back. “You blindfolded her. She could totally be thinking we’re dragging her out to some weird ritual in the woods.”
Lila snorted. “The thought crossed my mind.”
I rolled my eyes but couldn’t stop the small smile. “You’re not helping, Colt.”
“Just keeping things interesting,” he said with a grin I didn’t even have to look back to see.
Jaxon’s voice crackled through the walkie-talkie we’d brought along. “You almost there, Ryan?”
“Two minutes out,” I said into it.
“Good,” he replied. “Make sure her blindfold stays on.”
Lila huffed. “I feel like I’m about to be interrogated.”
Colt leaned forward, resting his chin on the back of her seat. “You’re going to love it. We promise.”
She tilted her head in his direction, her lips twitching. “You guys are terrible at surprises, you know that?”
“We’re not bad at surprises,” I said as I slowed the Jeep and turned onto a gravel drive. “We’re bad at keeping secrets when it comes to you.”
The tires crunched to a stop, and I turned off the engine.
“All right,” I said, unbuckling my seatbelt. “Wait here.”
I got out and opened her door, offering her my hand to help her out.
Biscuit jumped down, his little tail wagging furiously as he sniffed the unfamiliar ground.
“You’re still not taking this off,” I told her when she reached up to fumble with the blindfold.
She sighed dramatically but let me guide her forward, her fingers gripping mine tightly.
The gravel shifted beneath her boots as we led her forward. Jaxon and Colt fell into step beside us, and the three of us exchanged a look. None of us said anything, but we didn’t have to.
We were all thinking the same thing: This was it.
When we stopped, I squeezed her hand. “Okay, you ready?”
Her lips parted, and I could tell she wanted to ask a million questions, but instead, she nodded.
I reached up and carefully untied the blindfold, letting it fall away.
For a moment, she didn’t move.
Her hazel eyes blinked as they adjusted to the sunlight, then widened as she took in the scene before her.
The house stood tall and welcoming, with its wraparound porch and white painted exterior. The shutters were a deep forest green, matching the trees that bordered the property. Flower boxes lined the windows, already bursting with color, even though it was January.
Jaxon had insisted on that detail.
The front yard was wide and open, perfect for Biscuit to run around in. And behind the house, just visible from where we stood, was a small pond glinting in the sunlight.
For a long, quiet moment, she didn’t say a word.
Colt shifted, his playful confidence faltering. “Say something, Trouble. You’re killing us here.”
She turned to him, then to Jaxon, then finally to me.
“This… this is for me?” she whispered.
“For us ,” Jaxon said, stepping closer, his voice soft but sure. “But yeah, for you. We know what he took from you, Lila. And we can’t give you back all the time or the trust he stole, but we can give you this.”
Her hand flew to her mouth, and tears filled her eyes. “You… you bought me a house?”
Colt grinned. “Technically, it’s all of ours, but yeah. We’re calling it yours because you’ve always wanted this. A home. A place to call your own.”
Her tears spilled over, but her smile was radiant. She turned in a slow circle, taking it all in, before looking back at us. “I don’t even know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything,” I said, stepping forward and pulling her into my arms.
Her small frame fit perfectly against me, and I felt the wetness of her tears soak into my shirt. “Just know you’re not alone anymore. This is your home. With us.”
She pulled back, her hands trembling as she wiped at her face. “I love you. All of you. I don’t even know how I got this lucky, but… thank you. For everything.”
Jaxon stepped closer, his hand finding her cheek. “We’re the lucky ones, sweetheart.”
Colt slid an arm around her waist, his lips brushing her temple. “Get used to it, Trouble. You’re stuck with us now.”
She laughed, the sound watery but full of joy, and we all relaxed, the tension of wondering if this was the right move finally melting away.
“Now,” Colt said, grinning, “how about we go inside? I may have stocked the fridge with champagne. Just saying.”
Jaxon groaned. “You didn’t.”
“Of course I did. It’s a celebration.”
I shook my head, but when Lila looked up at me, her smile brighter than the sun, I knew he wasn’t wrong.
It was a celebration.
Of her.
Of us.
Of the life we were building together.